One Experiment Gone Wrong
by Rose Starre
Summary: Artemis has made a creature to do his bidding. When things go awry during the creature's second day of life, the creature turns against his creator and becomes a deadly enemy.
1. Artemis's Creature

**Disclaimer: Only the creature belongs to me. Nothing else does.**

Artemis carefully peered at the monitor. The self-created program of Artemis's glowed softly on the screen. In the center was a creature, amid multiple on-screen tools.

The creature was standing within the screen, staring blankly at the glass that confined him within the computer. The creature was humanoid in stature, his pale green eyes blank. He had taut grey skin, a long, thin tail, a perfectly round skull, and there was no hair anywhere on him.

Artemis turned the creature around, exposing his back. From there, he molded short, broad, bat-like wings. He moved the mouse over to the creature's pudgy, infantile hands. He then lengthened the fingers and added short, blunt claws to the tips.

Making the creature face him again, Artemis tugged large, pointed ears out of the head. The ears stuck straight out of the head like an animal's. Artemis then took four of the creature's teeth and made them into miniature, sharp fangs.

The genius boldly hit the "enter" key, sending the creature catapulting into the real world. All of a sudden, a mostly glass container near Artemis began filling with water.

When the container was filled nearly to the top, the water ceased and a tiny cylinder the size of a pill fell in from a tube at the uppermost point. The cylinder quickly dissolved, and the cloud of particles formed a creature identical to the one on the screen.

Artemis laid a hesitant hand on the glass, looking in at his creation. The being was hunched over in the water, making periodic movements like an unborn infant. Suddenly, all of his limbs flailed violently, sending masses of bubbles towards the top.

The creature's creator, fearful of his construction's newly-formed life, pressed a button. A mechanical hand came down and pressed an oxygen mask over the creature's nose and mouth. Almost immediately, the shuddering stopped and the creature was at peace again.

Now, with oxygen supplied to his lungs, the creature gained consciousness. His thick-lidded eyes opened, and the creature saw his creator. He lifted his hand and pressed it against the opposite side of the glass over his creator's own.

Without warning, the door creaked open behind Artemis, startling both him and his creature. It was only Holly in the doorway, checking on him. Artemis stood protectively in front of his creature, just in case.

"Hey, what happened to the light?" Holly asked, either completely ignoring the creature or not seeing it. Artemis looked about as if just noticing that his computer was the only source of light in the room. Holly groped around on the wall until she found the light switch.

"There it is," Holly muttered as she moved it to the "on" position. The light came on, half blinding Artemis. The creature closed and covered his eyes, his mouth open, hissing behind the oxygen mask. "What's that?" Holly asked, nodding in the direction of the creature.

"He is my creation. He's not a 'what' or a 'that'," Artemis said defensively.

"Oh," Holly said, stepping closer, "Way to go, Dr. Frankenstein. I didn't know you were capable of creating life."

"I didn't either," Artemis said. Realizing what he had said, he quickly added, "I mean, of course. It's a simple matter."

"Sure it is," Holly said, shaking her head. She turned to the creature, which was now looking at her with interest.

Holly smiled at the creature and waved at him. The creature attempted to copy her by bearing his teeth and moving his hand around. "You know," Holly said, "That is a miracle. I mean; _he's_ a miracle."

Tipping his head to the side, the creature listened. Suddenly, he spoke, "Mira-cle?" His voice was kind of scratchy, but definitely clear.

"Did he just speak?" Holly asked.

"I believe he did," Artemis answered, clearly in awe.

Everyone was quiet for a time. "Can we get him out of that tube? He won't be able to do much from there." Holly asked, breaking the silence.

As if understanding Holly's words, the creature kicked over to the glass side of his container and pushed against it, saying, "Out! Out!"

Artemis nodded and pressed a button. The water ran out through a tube that carried it back to the top. The oxygen mask was removed and the glass sides lifted. Lying on the floor of his container, the creature shivered in the sudden cold. "Where warm?" the creature asked, his voice now small in the larger room.

Finding a blanket, Artemis walked over to the creature. He wrapped the being in the blanket and picked him up. Artemis set him on a chair and stepped back, studying him.

"He needs a name," Holly told Artemis. The genius nodded, still thinking.

After a minute or two, Artemis came up with something. "His name shall be Charles," he concluded. Charles's eyes lit up at the sound of his new name.

_To be continued…_

_How cool is that? A machine that brings your creations to life! If I ever figure out how to do that, I'll tell you. Until chapter 2, see you!_


	2. The Visitor

_Chapter 2: The Visitor_

The following day, Charles happily woke his master. "Up! Get up!" he squeaked eagerly. Artemis cracked one eye open, saw the bouncing little creature, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It _was_ Charles's second day of life, after all.

Charles scurried away at Artemis's command and went out to the yard to wait. Up in the branches of an ancient oak, a small figure was nestled. It was Holly, for, oddly enough, she rather enjoyed sleeping up in trees, given the fact she could easily get down. But it wasn't Holly that had Charles's attention.

A second figure was up the same tree, leaning over the slumbering captain. To Charles, this second figure looked rather like a particularly dangerous threat, and he understood he should do something. Using his broad wings, he fluttered up to the tree.

Coming up behind the hooded second figure, Charles grabbed and wrestled her to the ground. (Up close, he could easily tell the second figure was female.) The second figure fought back, but was soon overpowered. "Please, don't hurt me," she pleaded.

"Why?" Charles asked, genuinely curious.

"I know very important, very secret things," the figure said shakily behind the shadow of her hood, "Very, very powerful things, things that could change your life forever."

"How?" Charles asked, shivering with anticipation. He was getting excited; things that could change his life forever? Oh, what suspense!

"Simple," the figure purred in a voice like silk, "Just let me tell you." Charles, forgetting that this figure had been threatening his friend not a minute earlier, let her lean closer to his ear. "Your creator has lied to you; he doesn't love you. He's hated you since you showed your face to the world."

"But… but," Charles stuttered slowly, "He… he created me. He couldn't have done that to… to hate me."

"He was forced," the figure continued, "Then, he weaseled out of his deal, his deal with me, to hand you over. Said I was "evil", he did. But, there is no reason why you shouldn't come with me now. I would love you; protect you from _true_ evil, like the elf in the tree."

That last phrase brought Charles back to his scenes. "Holly?" he spluttered, "No, she is kind to me. She would never, _ever_ think of hurting me!"

"That's what you think," the figure spat, "It's what she _wants_ you to think. She is currently plotting your downfall. I will protect you from her and your so-called "loving" creator."

"But, how will I find you?" Charles asked quietly after a minute.

The figure pulled her hood off. She had beautiful features, almost perfect, and Charles found it very easy to memorize them. "And, just so you know," the figure said, pulling her hood back up, "my name's Opal." Opal turned on her heels and hurried away.

_Did it surprise you that the second figure was Opal? Of course she would want to have a kind of "Super-Minion" to carry out her malevolent deeds. I don't really know if Charles actually fits the description of "Super-Minion", but he'd have to do. It's not like Artemis would make a super dangerous evil creature, right?_


	3. Charles's Insight

_Chapter 3: Charles's Insight_

Holly awoke to the song of a small songbird. The minuscule bird was perched a mere 10 inches from her head, singing a jovial tune. Holly smiled at the bird and slid silently from the tree.

Charles was sitting, stunned, a couple feet from the tree. Holly approached him and spoke, "Good morning, Charles."

The little creature jumped, whipping his head about, trying to locate the owner of the voice. Holly tried again, "Charles, calm down. It's me; there's no need to be afraid."

Poor Charles fixed his gaze on the elf, his large, pale green eyes watering. "Have I no reason to be afraid?" he sobbed, "Or do I have every right?"

Holly was confused at the creature's words and was about to ask him what they meant, but Charles darted away. He crashed through the bushes and fled into the forest surrounding Fowl Manor. Calling after him, Holly followed.

Weeping uncontrollably and hurrying blindly, Charles somehow managed to escape his pursuer. Using his claws, he scaled a tall tree with a branchless section from the roots to the center of the trunk, just to be sure. He draped himself over the branches and let every tear in his tear ducts flow down his face.

Charles's acute ears picked up the faint sound of Holly calling him, quite a way from where he rested. He sat up, listening as he had done that first day, before he had said that first word. Charles suddenly gripped the branch he sat on with his toes, hooked a few others with his fingers, wrapped his tail around a sturdy branch, and leaned forward as far as he dared, listening intently.

The call sounded far off and getting fainter, so Charles settled back. _What have I done?_ Charles asked himself, _I've run from the only family I've ever known. All for a figure who calls herself Opal. Does my creator hate me? Does my best friend plot my downfall? Can I trust Opal? Most of all, can I trust _anyone_?"_

Pondering this last question, Charles retreated further into the sheltering branches of the tree. Abruptly, he spoke his thoughts aloud, "When I was conceived in the mind, was I really to be loved by my creator? What went through his head as I took form? Am I not good enough?"

Charles became quiet for a time. He hugged his knees and spoke again, "Opal… Will she keep her promise?" the pixie's image floated in his mind. "Yes," he firmly answered himself, "She will. She… she was the one who spoke truth to me. I have nothing to fear from Opal."

Lifting his head, Charles determinedly decided he would look for Opal. He scrambled down the tree and set off, as though a conqueror bent on conquest, to find Opal.

_There is nothing to fear from Opal, _he thought. _She'll protect me; keep me safe from my creator and Holly. There is nothing to fear from Opal; nothing at all, _he repeated.

_There is nothing to fear from Opal? I think not. Who am I to know, maybe she's changed. Then again, Artemis and co. might just have to save the world, yet again._


End file.
